Fragrance comparison

Presence vs Monsieur

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 9 Oct 2026 186 ratings analysed

Presence

Houbigant

4.1555 votes

Rank #27,761 MossyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Monsieur

Carven

4.57131 votes

Rank #4,487 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Monsieur takes 6 of 7 categories.

Presence
Choose it for a mossy and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Monsieur
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Presence1/7

Monsieur6/7

Ratings & consensus: Monsieur
Community sentiment: Monsieur
Longevity: Monsieur
Sillage & projection: Monsieur
Value for money: Presence
Versatility: Monsieur
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Monsieur

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

PresenceHoubigant

MonsieurCarven

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 45%

4.57/ 5 · 131 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerMonsieurRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

44%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

55 votes

66%Love

27%Like

3%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

131 votes

Category winnerMonsieurMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate89

Category winners

LongevityMonsieur

SillageMonsieur

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value45

Category winnerPresenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

mossy100%

floral92%

earthy84%

woody77%

fresh69%

fruity61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

earthy84%

aromatic77%

amber69%

powdery61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

AppleAldehydesNeroliLemonBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

OrrisHeliotropeCarnationJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossMuskCedarVetiverSpicesAmbergrisPatchouliSandalwood

Top

AldehydesNeroliArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

SandalwoodJasminePatchouliCinnamonCarnationRoseVetiverOrris Root

Base

CoconutCivetOakmossMyrrhLeatherLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Neroli, Lemon and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Presence, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring79

Summer50

Fall100

Winter71

Day100

Night64

Spring78

Summer34

Fall100

Winter94

Day100

Night79

Category winnerMonsieurMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex20

Women73

Work 41%Casual 28%Date 21%Party 10%

Men84

Unisex11

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,761

PerfumerRaymond Kling

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#4,487

PerfumerRaymond Chaillan

Launched—

Reviews14

Category winnerMonsieurHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Houbigant Presence is a crisp, historic chypre built on striking contrasts. The first spray releases a brisk wash of tart green apple, fizzy aldehydes, and sharp lemon zest. Give it ten minutes. The top burns off rapidly to reveal a velvety, dry heart of earthy orris root and spicy carnation blossoms. It smells like v…

Reviews →

Monsieur Carven by Carven opens with a sharp burst of aldehydes, bitter artemisia, and crisp lemon that immediately establishes its vintage 1978 pedigree. As the initial brightness settles, a complex floral heart emerges on skin, combining spicy carnation, dry rose, and earthy patchouli. Cinnamon and sandalwood add a …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Presence or Monsieur?

Monsieur takes 6 of 7 categories. Presence is rated 4.15/5 from 55 votes; Monsieur is rated 4.57/5 from 131 votes. Choose Presence for a mossy and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Monsieur for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Presence or Monsieur?

Monsieur lasts longest (Monsieur 82/100, Presence 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Presence or Monsieur?

Monsieur projects furthest (Monsieur 71/100, Presence 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Presence and Monsieur smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Neroli, Lemon and Bergamot.

Is Presence or Monsieur better for summer or winter?

For summer, Presence is the stronger pick. For winter, Monsieur is the stronger pick. Presence suits daytime wear; Monsieur suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Presence and Monsieur?

Presence has top notes of Apple, Aldehydes, Neroli and Lemon, heart notes of Orris, Heliotrope, Carnation and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Cedar and Vetiver. Monsieur has top notes of Aldehydes, Neroli, Artemisia and Bergamot, heart notes of Sandalwood, Jasmine, Patchouli and Cinnamon, a base of Coconut, Civet, Oakmoss and Myrrh.